Celebrity chef says we've been making pasta wrong - and the easy fix

Pasta might seem like a simple dish to master, but even the most straightforward of meals can be elevated with a bit of know-how. Time and again, culinary experts have pointed out the common mistakes many Brits make when rustling up this Italian staple. From carelessly pouring pasta water down the drain to getting portion sizes wrong, there's a host of pitfalls that are all too easy to fall into.

Thankfully, these culinary slip-ups are often just as easy to rectify. And it seems one error is more prevalent than others. In a chat with the Mirror, celebrity chef Aldo Zilli identified overcooking pasta as a widespread issue, one that plagues kitchens both professional and domestic.

He said: "Dry pasta is something most people tend to overcook in this country. A lot of restaurants precook it then serve it overcooked."

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The Italian chef further explained: "The cooking of pasta needs to be finished in the sauce. If you are making pasta, cook it two minutes under, then add it to the sauce with cooking water and finish the cooking in the sauce, so the pasta has got a chance to absorb all the flavours."

Bucking conventional wisdom, Zilli also warns against rinsing your pasta after boiling, particularly if you're following the steps he recommends. He said: "Never cool pasta down under cold water because you are washing off all the goodness." To top it off, he shared his "foolproof" approach for nailing the perfect portion size.

Aldo said: "Calculate 80 grams of pasta per person that always works. It is foolproof." If you're whipping up some spaghetti, he suggests utilising the hole in your spaghetti spoon.

Contrary to popular belief, the slot isn't just for draining water - it's a handy tool for measuring out a perfect serving size. Just pop your dry pasta into the hole to gauge the right amount.